Being French myself, seeing how complicated Guerschon Yabusele’s situation has become in New York honestly saddens me. Especially when you remember everything he’s shown in the past. With Real Madrid, at the 2024 Olympics, or even during his stint in Philadelphia. The 30‑year‑old forward is now at the center of a lot of rumors: some send him back to Europe, others keep him in the NBA but in a different franchise. And I’ve seen the Phoenix Suns pop up quite a few times. And honestly (without any national
bias), I don’t think that idea is crazy at all.
“Yabu” is a 6’7″, 265‑pound power forward, exactly the kind of physical presence we’re missing, and he also brings that European background. As we all know, Phoenix is loaded at the center position: Williams, Ighodaro, Maluach, and finally Richards (we’ll get back to him). But the team really lacks a strong, physical forward who can bring density in the paint while offering at least some shooting ability. Good news: the Dancing Bear fits that profile almost perfectly.
His skill set could help for several reasons. He can defend bigger, stronger interior players. He’s not an elite defender, but we’ve seen him bother guys like Adebayo, Sabonis, or Brook Lopez recently. On top of that, he protects the rim fairly well and contests a lot: 18 contests per 100 possessions and a -4.3% field‑goal differential at the rim for opponents.
That physical presence would also help us reinforce our rebounding dominance, especially on box‑outs, freeing Mark Williams, Jordan Goodwin, or Ryan Dunn to attack the glass in better conditions. And even for himself, he’s solid: 8.1% offensive rebound rate on teammate misses and a 16.7% defensive rebound percentage this season. Nothing spectacular (around the 77th percentile for both), but definitely respectable numbers.
His body, his individual skills, his experience, and his IQ would all be valuable in Phoenix’s offensive structure. He can stretch the floor (regularly above 40% three‑point frequency), he can finish inside (71% at the rim last season, 152/214), and he’s useful in set plays: a good screener and a decent passer.
Like many players on our roster, he wouldn’t change the franchise’s destiny on his own. But he would make the collective ecosystem better by bringing stability and variety to our tactical options.
This season, things have been tough for him in New York. He’s partly responsible, but the collective context doesn’t help either. He’s averaging just 2 points and 2 rebounds in under 10 minutes per game. Nothing like the opportunities he had in Philadelphia, where he played 70 games (43 starts) last season and averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 38% from three in just under 30 minutes. That’s exactly why he needs a change of scenery. And Phoenix would be a good destination for him, in my opinion.
He’d clearly be a good asset…but who would we trade? The obvious name is Nick Richards. With Maluach’s arrival, Mark Williams joining the team, and Oso Ighodaro’s breakout, Richards has become the extra center in an already crowded rotation.
On top of that, the salaries match perfectly: around $5M for Richards versus $5.5M for Yabusele.
And from the Knicks’ perspective, the interest is real; the rumors all point in that direction. New York lacks reliable size behind Mitchell Robinson, who’s often injured, and they’re looking for a center who can protect the rim and bring some stability. In their rotation, Yabusele is more of a movable piece, which makes the trade even more logical.
It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s exactly the kind of move that makes sense when you look at the real needs of both teams: an extra center for a physical power forward. For the Suns, trading Nick Richards for Guerschon Yabusele isn’t crazy. It’s logical, for sure.
